Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a Fudd. And a Boomer. Those labels are often insults, but I wear them as badges of honor. What makes me a Fudd? The moment you become a fan of anything designed by John M. Browning…bingo.
In 1992 I bought my first P-35, a Browning Hi-Power, and I was hooked. I’ve owned and customized a lot of them since. It was a dark day when Browning discontinued the classic Hi-Power, so I was relieved when Springfield Armory introduced the SA-35. They delivered the look and feel of the P-35 while adding several welcome upgrades.
Now Springfield has released a 4-inch barrel version of the SA-35. The concept isn’t new. Gunsmiths used to cut and weld Hi-Powers to make shorter or longer pistols. But it’s great to see a factory 4-inch model. I hope this is the first of more variations.
Similarities
The 4-inch SA-35 uses the same frame, grips, magazine, trigger, and hammer as the standard SA-35.
The sights are the same serrated “U” notch rear and dovetail white-dot front.
Field stripping is similar, so maintenance feels familiar to anyone used to P-35–style pistols.
Differences
The obvious change is barrel and slide length: 4″ versus the standard 4.7″. The slide is shortened to match the barrel.
A notable mechanical change is a full-length guide rod with a .255-inch diameter that narrows to .199-inch, paired with a flat recoil spring instead of the classic round-wire spring.
Curious about this, I contacted Springfield.
A product manager explained: “Due to the change in length/weight/mass of the slide of the shorter pistol, we redesigned the guide rod to a full-length design as well as a new recoil spring weight to ensure maximum reliability with the pistol.”
Fit and Feel
Before live fire, I wanted to see how the shorter barrel affected pointing and handling. I did dry practice using a Galco Combat Master holster made for the standard SA-35. The 4″ SA-35 fit perfectly and felt the same as its larger sibling through roughly 50 presentations. My friend Mike at Galco said SA-35 4″ versions of their OWB Combat Master and IWB Summer Comfort would be available at release.
First Rounds
Eager to shoot it, I set up a USPSA target with a 2-inch orange sticky as an aiming point, gathered about 30 mixed 9mm rounds and shot from 10 yards. I was testing function and feel, not precision.
The results were very favorable. The pistol ran well across varied ammo brands and bullet weights. One consistent trait — not unique to this model but common to P-35–style pistols with factory parts — is a long, quiet trigger reset. After years with tactile, loud, striker-fired resets, the SA-35 reset feels subtle. I expected it, so it wasn’t a surprise.
On a later range visit I did single shots and controlled pairs at 7 yards from my Galco Combat Master to get comfortable without optics. Iron sights were a brief adjustment. The serrated U-notch rear and white-dot front made quick sight acquisition easy and effective.
Future Upgrades
The SA-35 platform benefits from a lot of aftermarket support. I love the factory wood grips, but in Arizona I prefer durable G-10. LOK Grips offer many colors and patterns, so a set of those is likely next.
Other possible upgrades include trigger kits and sights — an Apex Tactical trigger kit and XS night sights are on the list — but for now, I’ll keep this pistol mostly stock.
Parting Shots
I’m impressed with the shorter SA-35. I was a fan of the original SA-35, and this 4-inch version keeps what I loved while offering a handy, well-executed variation. Next step: a Galco Combat Master holster made for this 4″ model and adding it to my carry rotation. There will always be a place for John M. Browning’s design in my Fudd Kit.